Seoul launches early-morning autonomous bus service

Seoul launches early-morning autonomous bus service. November. 27, 2024 07:51. by 전혜진 sunrise@donga.com.
The city of Seoul introduced its first early-morning autonomous bus service, the "Dawn Companion Autonomous Bus," on Tuesday. Passengers expressed curiosity and appreciation for the new service, which aims to get them to work earlier.

The bus made its inaugural trip at 3:40 a.m. from Dobongsan Station Transfer Center in Dobong-gu District, traveling a round-trip route to Yeongdeungpo Station in Yeongdeungpo-gu District. Designated as “A160” to signify its autonomous operation, the bus runs ahead of the regular No. 160 route. Though scheduled to depart at 3:30 a.m., the first trip was delayed by 10 minutes due to a fare payment system issue.

The first passenger was a man in his 20s who boarded at the departure point. A self-described transportation enthusiast, he shared, “I live in Songdo, Incheon, and took the last train to Seoul just to experience this. While I’m here, I plan to ride the bus round trip to Yeongdeungpo and all the way back to the starting point.”

According to the city government, the existing No. 160 route previously began service at 3:56 a.m. with two buses. However, there had been growing demands from early-morning workers, such as street cleaners and security staff, for an earlier departure time to accommodate their long commutes. “The No. 160 bus was always fully packed,” a city official explained. “In response to requests for additional buses and earlier operations, we introduced the Dawn Companion service, departing about 30 minutes earlier.”

While passengers marveled at the sight of the self-steering wheel, some expressed discomfort with the frequent sudden stops. To enhance safety, the city has prohibited standing passengers and mandated seatbelt use for all riders, citing potential abrupt halts caused by obstacles.